Food And Well-being In Winter Activities

By Author: Ramon vivo
Total Articles: 8
Comment this article

To enjoy winter sports, we must take into account some good food habits. This article explains how to modify our eating habits at this time in order to take care of our health, reduce the risk of injury and maintain good sports performance

When it comes to regular physical activity and, especially, when we talk about winter sports (in adverse environments), each person should set realistic goals that take into account their physical condition.

This simple rule, which must also be applied when modifying our eating habits, will avoid injuries and feelings of frustration by not achieving the objectives, thus avoiding the early abandonment of exercise.

Activities in the high mountains, for example, have a series of characteristics that must be taken into account to follow a good diet.

The needs of water, energy and nutrients increase during the practice of physical activity and sport, especially in winter sports. So, we must ensure that they are adequately nourished with food and beverage intake before, during and at the end of this activity.

What do we need to take into account if we are going ...
... to practice winter sports

With the cold and the altitude, the energy requirements increase and, in addition, due to the environment, the climate and the relief, the provisions must be adjusted to the weight and space available in a backpack. Hence the importance of good food and beverage logistics, as well as adequate equipment.

The loss of heat in these environments causes the body to react through involuntary muscle contraction, involuntary shivering and decreased blood flow to the skin, thus increasing energy needs. As a reference the energy, for example, of an alpine skier weighing 75 kg, would be around 3,800 kilocalories per day in training periods.

In cold environments, at high altitude and low humidity, the feeling of hunger and thirst is also reduced, while the need for carbohydrates as a basic source of energy is increased. For this reason, it is necessary to become aware of the need to eat and drink in sports days even if it doesn’t feel like it too much and it when it seems like an inconvenience at the time.

The diet of an alpine skiing, backcountry or mountain skiing athlete must be rich in high energy density foods based, above all, on carbohydrates but which at the same time provide proteins of high biological value, vitamins and minerals that help to cover the basic needs and those generated in the training and competition periods.